


I looked across and I fell in love

by Significant_What



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Royalty, An AU of an AU, Barista Will, Birthdays, Dorks in Love, First Kiss, Flower Crowns, Fluff, Flustered Will, Getting Together, Godly parent swap, Light Angst, M/M, Making Out, Meet-Cute, Prince Will Solace, Quests, Secret Relationship, Shadow Travel (Percy Jackson), Solangelo Week, Suspicions, Tattoos, alternative universe - faeries, cuteness, light bending, medical student will, outcast nico di angelo, persephone!nico, planes, single dad nico, soccer mom au, soft flower boy nico, suave nico di angelo, super power, teenagers in love, trustfund kid nico, unclaimed!will, we're going so deep this week i swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-18 08:03:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19330453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Significant_What/pseuds/Significant_What
Summary: my entries for solangelo week 2019or; the one where i just found an excuse to write nico and will falling in love over and over again. i regret nothing.





	1. Day 1: Sun/Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vlindervin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vlindervin/gifts).



> i never thought i'd be trying to take part in something like this. mainly because i'm terrible at keeping deadlines. i still don't know if i'll be able to write something for each of the days, but let's try!
> 
> i originally planned to try and make as many of these as possible set in canon (except for, obviously, day 4) - but as many of you know, i kinda really love aus. so yeah. this first one is kind of in canon, just aged up, but we'll see how everything else goes.
> 
> (i really liked the idea some people had for day 1 and pokémon sun/moon au, but i didn't feel qualified to write that. i do have notes for a pokémon go au, however. we'll see if i'll put it a part of this, or a whole other story, or if i'll just scrap it.)
> 
> also! many of these entries are ideas i have been toying for a while now, and have many additional plans for. if some of these seem to you like they could use a whole fic of their own, let me know! (as you might guess, day 4 already is high on my list.) i'm trying to keep these rather short to save myself from a mental breakdown.

Nico checks the time on his watch for the fourth time in the past ten minutes, then sighs slightly as he turns his eyes back on Will.

”The appointment is set for 11”, he says, repeating something Will has been muttering to himself for the past week. ”As in, you know, five minutes. So if you’re quite done panicking..?”

Because Will _is_ panicking. In all the years Nico has known him, he doesn’t think he has seen him acting quite like this. Will isn’t the kind of person that really panics, and Nico has envied that about him for years. Sure, Nico has seen Will nervous, and scared, and anxious, and once he has even seen Will downright terrified. But never before has he witnessed him pacing around on a side walk, wringing his hands together and muttering to himself with his eyes cast down to his feet.

Nico almost wants to laugh, because it’s _just a tattoo_. And not even a big one, barely the size of a small coin. It will be over before Will even knows it, and anyway, isn’t the final product always worth the pain in these cases?

”It’s not _just a tattoo_ , Nico”, Will says then, as if reading Nico’s thoughts. They’ve had this conversation a few times already, so Nico thinks he knows where this is going. ”It’s a _commitment_. There’s no erasing it once it’t there. I need to be _absolutely sure_.” He stops and looks Nico in the eyes. ”Aren’t you even a little bit nervous?”

”Of course I am.” Nico is a little more than _a little bit_ nervous, but he’s not going to tell Will that before the whole thing is over and done with. There’s no need for the both of them to start panicking and then not going through with it and regretting that later. ”But I’m also sure I want this. I’m sure about the design, and I’m sure about the meaning.”

_I’m sure about you_ , is the unsaid part that Nico knows Will hears anyway. Matching tattoos are a little bit of a taboo in a society where relationships tend to be short lived and fleeting. They’re frowned upon and people laugh about them, and Nico has seen at least a dozen different memes telling him why he _shouldn’t_ get a matching tattoo with his boyfriend.

But the thing is, none of those memes were made by demigods. And by a general rule, demigods are nothing like mortals, and then again they’re _exactly_ like them. They want to broadcast their relationships on their skin just like everyone else – but as an addition, their relationships tend to be more serious from the beginning. Just another side effect from living in a world where you’re lucky to see your 21st birthday. So when Nico says he wants to have matching tattoos with Will, he knows exactly the implications behind it, and he doesn’t care what Will’s college friends might say. What do they know, anyway.

Will takes a deep breath and holds eye contact with Nico. Nico doesn’t look away, just waits until Will has calmed himself down enough to not slip into a full on panic attack. It takes a few more moments, but in the end Will gives him a small but still so very brilliant smile.

”I’m sure, too.”

They walk into the parlor together, and Will gets his tattoo made first. It’s small, like they knew it would be, but when Nico sees the little moon inked to the side of Will’s finger his heart feels like it’s doubled in size. How is it that something so small can make him feel so many things at once?

When the tattoo is done, Will beams at Nico as he shows it off, and Nico almost kisses him, right there in the middle of the tattoo parlor. He doesn’t, though – partly because it’s his turn now, and the machine looks a lot more intimidating when he’s the one getting his skin inked. Nico feels a little bad, now, for almost making fun of Will’s nervousness.

The fact is that Nico has never really had to get used to needles. Back when he decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood and Will kept giving him multiple routine checks a week, they had a well working – if slightly questionable – system that if blood was needed, Will drew it from Nico while Nico was asleep. This proved to save both time and energy, and since then there really hasn’t been any reason why Nico would have to be around needles that much. If he helps around the infirmary he mostly cuts bandages or reorganizes the medicine cabinet. That’s it. 

So when Nico sits down in the chair and the tattoo artist starts preparing his finger, he can feel his face turn white. He keeps his eyes on a piece lint on the denim of his jeans, refusing to look at the needle that he knows is sitting on the side table, waiting.

Nico feels a little ridiculous. This was his idea, after all. He has been talking Will into doing this for literal months, ever since his birthday, really. It feels stupid that now _he’s_ the one that’s getting cold feet. Nico really wants the tattoo – he just doesn’t want to have it _done_.

Just as he’s about to get up and run out the door, worrying about the consequences later, he feels Will stepping closer and taking his free hand.

”Whimp”, Will says, and when Nico turns to look at him he can see Will’s eyes dancing with laughter. The word sounds awfully fond and tender. ”And to think that you thought _I_ was the scared one.”

Nico rolls his eyes to hide his embarrassment, knowing that Will can see right through him. ”Shut up.”

In the end, getting a tattoo feels like a scratch when compared to being stabbed. Nico feels stupid for being afraid of a needle after all he’s been through in his life, but he doesn’t let go of Will’s hand until the small sun is done and covered in clear plastic. Then it’s there, on the side of his left hand ring finger, just like Will’s is, just like they planned them, and Nico is _so_ glad they did this, because now he can show off when anyone dares to imply he’s not romantic enough.

They get up, they pay, and they leave. Nico takes Will’s hand again once they’re outside, and Will squeezes his fingers lightly, careful not to put too much pressure on the newly broken skin. Nico knows the tattoo will take some time to get used to, but he doesn’t mind.

”I’m glad we did this”, Will says when they start walking.

Nico looks at him. The sun hits Will’s hair just right, making it shine golden and bring out the different shades of _beautiful_ in Will. He’s bright and warm, and Nico loves him, and he can’t wait to show the tattoo to everyone. He wants to show it off, and be obnoxious about it. He’s almost upset that they chose a spot that’s so easily hidden – but secretly, in a part of Nico’s mind that plans and dreams and whispers big hopes in his most vulnerable moments, Nico knows the tattoo is merely a place holder.

Nico squeezes Will’s fingers back and smiles. ”Me too.”


	2. Day 2: Secret dating/Fake relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> while this is one of the aus i have been thinking of writing for months, of not years, i actually struggled with this quite a lot. i hope it's still okay, though.

The whole thing is kind of funny, when you think about it. Will tries to keep his lips in a tight line as is appropriate for a member of the staff in parties like this. This party is slightly different for him, though, and half of the time he wants to burst out laughing because it’s all so _absurd_.

(The other half Will wishes he could join the party as a quest, but unfortunately that’s not quite possible at this point in time. Will has hopes for the future, though.)

Weekends with the catering firm are more of an extra job for Will, even though most of the time it pays better that the coffee shop. In either job, most of his pay check comes from tips, but he’s not that picky; if these small bills are going to pay him through college, he’ll take anything. So of course he couldn’t say no when his boss called him to fill in for another waiter on a Saturday night.

It’s not like he had other plans, anyway.

Will fills another tray of sparkling cider and picks it up with what is now considered practiced ease. He weaves through the crowd slowly, making sure his posture is flawless, and at the same time keeps an eye out for the birthday boy himself. He’s not keeping his hopes too high, but it would be nice to catch even a glimpse of Nico di Angelo in all his glory. Will has heard he’s had a new suit tailored just for him, with black gem stone details on the lapels and a black silk shirt underneath. Will bets Nico looks stunning.

So far Will has only managed to see Nico’s father, Mr. di Angelo, and Nico’s sister Hazel, who looks beautiful in her gold accented cocktail dress and matching jewelry. Will doesn’t know Hazel very well, but she did give him a small wave and a smile, so Will supposes she doesn’t mind him too much. He’s kind of relieved.

But three hours into the party Will has yet to see Nico at all. The catering firm is only paid to stay for four hours, and Will has already resigned to his fate – he would have to manage with pictures found online like the rest of the world. He keeps his head high and doesn’t let his disappointment show.

All in all, the work isn’t too bad. Will gets to see all kinds of interesting people, from bankers to doctors to lawyers to architects, and he gets to hear conversations he probably shouldn’t. It makes for an interesting life, and no event is the same as the last, and if Will didn’t have his heart set on a medical career he would have a wide range of ideas for an event planning business.He sure has been to a lot of them in the past year.

Will is changing into his regular t-shirt and gathering his belongings in the staff room when one of his co-workers taps him on the shoulder.

”I was told to give you this and not ask any questions”, Cecil says, giving Will a slip of folded paper, ”but know that I have _plenty_.”

Will nods, taking the note from Cecil and already guessing who it’s from.

”Right”, he mutters. ”Thank you.” He side-eyes Cecil quickly and, noticing the curious look on his face, adds, ”And no gossiping, either, okay? I would tell you all about it, but it’s rather… sensitive. I guess.”

Cecil looks like that only gives him even more questions, but nods anyway and leaves to get his own things. Once remotely alone, Will finally opens the note and smiles when he recognizes the neat cursive hand writing.

_Merchant’s Gate, 15 minutes._

Will bites his lip to hide his smile, but when he’s leaving the building he can see from Cecil’s face that he’s not very successful. He doesn’t particularly care. Instead he races forward, internally cursing a few people blocking his path, only stopping to re-tie his shoe laces with a frustrated groan. Then he gets up again, and he doesn’t stop until he can see Columbus Circle, then Dylan’s Candy Bar, and finally – _finally_ – Nico.

It’s dark, and Nico is wearing all black, but Will could recognize him anywhere. And he looks _so good_ , the suit fits him perfectly, and Will has no idea what has been done to Nico’s hair but he likes it a lot. And then Nico turns and sees Will approaching, and he _smiles_ , and if Will ever had a doubt that Nico liked him just as much as he likes Nico, this moment would prove him all wrong.

Nico is full on beaming by the time Will stops in front of him, breathing hard but smiling the way he hasn’t been allowed all night. For a few moments they just look at each other, smiling and drinking in the sight of the other, and then Nico steps forward into a hug, burying his face into Will’s neck.

”You came.” Nico’s voice is muffled and Will can feel it tingle against his skin. ”I was afraid you had already left. I didn’t see you anywhere all night. I tried to look.”

Will breathes in the mixed smell of hair products and _Nico_ , closing his eyes and enjoying it fully. ”Of course I came. It’s your birthday.” He drops a few quick kisses into Nico’s hair, then whispers to his ear, ”I couldn’t very well leave without wishing you a happy birthday, now, could I?”

Nico leans back just enough so that he can press his lips against Will in a kiss that is both much needed and long overdue. They don’t see each other as much as they want to, so Will has learned to cherish every kiss, every embrace, in a way he supposes most eighteen year olds don’t. And kissing Nico is so _nice_ , it feels good and warm and familiar, and sometimes when Will feels lonely at night he traces his finger across his lips and tries to remember what their last kiss tasted like.

”I wish we could have celebrated together”, Nico whispers against Will’s lips. ”My father – ”

Will cuts him off with another kiss, short and sweet. ”I know. And you know I don’t mind.” Will knows why they can’t be open about their relationship, why Nico’s father can’t know. He also knows they can’t hide forever, not if they want to stay together for longer than a few months (and Will _wants_ ), but so far they don’t really have a plan. And tonight is not the right time to figure one out. ”And besides, we can still celebrate together. The night is still young.”

Nico looks at him, then the park next to them, and then Will again, and Will can see his eyes shining joyfully. They lean in for one more kiss, and it doesn’t matter who moves first or who initiates what, they have long since abandoned the need to keep score. Nico’s hand is warm in Will’s when they step back and smile.

”Join me for a stroll?” Nico always speaks softly, never raising his voice without a good reason, but now his voice sounds even more delicate and low, like he’s shy or uncertain.

Will, on the other hand, is not uncertain. He smiles and laces their fingers together – and then, as always when it’s about Nico, he says yes.


	3. Day 3: God/Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look. i did have some super deep philosophic idea about will pondering the responsibilities of being half a god. it was dark and depressing.
> 
> then i thought, godly parent swap still goes under the "god" prompt, right?
> 
> now we're here.

Being the oldest unclaimed demigod in camp is not fun. Will has been thinking about this since he was nine, and there was a boy in the Hermes cabin who still hadn’t been claimed on his fifteenth birthday. Back then Will had thought he himself would be claimed quickly. People said he looks exactly like Apollo, after all, and Apollo was known around camp for claiming his kids quickly and proudly, not leaving anyone wondering.

For the first three weeks, Will was confident. There was still time. Three weeks was still normal. Will bonded with a few other Apollo kids, secretly hoping to call them his siblings soon.

After three months at Camp Half-Blood Will started to get worried, but his faith didn’t crumble. Maybe Apollo was busy. Perhaps he hadn’t had a chance to check in on the campers lately. That must have been it. Will started hanging around in the infirmary, helping where he could and learning from others. During dinners he squeezed in to sit at the Hermes table while sending longing glances to the Apollo table.

Will had been at camp for a full year when another kid was claimed by Apollo during dinner. Perhaps that’s when he should have stopped hoping, but all he did was swallow his tears and try to be happy for them. Perhaps Apollo had simply forgotten about him. Apollo has many kids, after all. Will wouldn’t be the first one. And he was barely ten years old, surely Apollo would claim him once he proved himself worthy.

Will started practicing archery extra hard, even though it was very difficult and didn’t come naturally from him, not like people said it would. He ignored it when people started whispering that perhaps Apollo wasn’t his father, after all. Chiron tried to say it might be a minor god, and ask whether Will knew if his godly parent was his mother or his father. Will ignored him and refused to answer.

Because the thing is, Will didn’t know. He still doesn’t know, at sixteen. He was adopted as a baby and he has no data of his biological family.

All this was manageable to Will, it really was, until just after his sixteenth birthday a girl one year older than himself left camp for good – and suddenly Will is the oldest unclaimed demigod. He’s also one of the oldest campers in the Hermes cabin, but he’s not invited to the counselor meeting because, technically, he’s not one of them. He’s just been bunking with these people for the past seven years, not really being one of them but still having to stick with the group.

There are whispers, every time a new camper is claimed. Of course there is. Will can feel their eyes on him, waiting to see his reaction at yet another kid way younger than him being claimed before him. Will works hard to keep the smile on his face, bright and happy. Because really, he _is_ happy for everyone getting claimed, because that means they don’t have to live their life drifting like him. Will is really, truly, genuinely happy for them.

Still, of course it hurts. And Will would probably have already lost all hope if it weren’t for Nico di Angelo.

Nico is not the only son of Persephone, but he’s the only one in Camp Half-Blood, and the only one Will knows. And he’s beautiful. It almost feels like he reflects the beauty of every single flower within range, multiplying it by a thousand. He doesn’t smile much, but when he does it could light up the whole world, and Will doesn’t understand how anyone can do anything when Nico is smiling. Isn’t anyone else affected?

What’s even better, Nico is the only one at camp who doesn’t seem to think it’s weird that Will still wants to focus on working in the infirmary.

”You could very well be a son of Apollo, we’ll never know until you’re claimed”, he always says, and somehow it doesn’t make Will think about how long he has been unclaimed for. ”Besides, plenty of other people are good at healing without any connections to Apollo. And they can’t stop you – it’s not like you’re hurting anyone by taking extra shifts.”

Will likes to sit in the grass with Nico, next to the large field of wild flowers, and talk about everything and anything and nothing. In those moments Nico plucks flowers with long stems, his movements gentle and soft whispers dropping from his lips like he’s comforting the plants, and he weaves the flowers into crowns and wreaths. His fingers work on them smoothly and delicately, and when the craft is done he breathes his mother’s magic into them, making the flowers bloom their brightest for weeks without wilting.

Nico has made three different flower crowns for Will this summer – one out of daisies, one of white clovers and wallflowers, and one super delicate one of carefully braided forget me nots. Will has all of them pinned to the wall above his bed, and he has threatened anyone from stealing them by reminding them he knows how to break each of their bones in an alphabetical order. So far, no one’s tried to cross him.

This time Nico is weaving together wild poppies, colored in bright red and copper and orange. Will doesn’t know how he does it, but the flowers almost seem to _want_ to work with Nico, like it was their calling to be plucked and crafted by this son of Persephone all along. Will thinks it’s not a bad place to end up in.

”The bottom line is”, Nico says as Will hands him yet another flower, already used to being Nico’s assistant/admirer/biggest fan in his future career of arranging flowers, ”I don’t care who your godly parent is. You know that.” Nico doesn’t look up from his flowers, but Will can see the tips of his ears turning slightly red. It’s incredibly cute.

Will reaches out to the field to pick up a small blue forget me not, as gently as he can. ”I know.” His hand shakes when he tucks the flower behind Nico’s ear. The blue matches nicely with the red that has now spread to Nico’s cheeks. ”Thank you for that.”

Nico doesn’t say anything else before the flower crown is ready. He breaths the magic into it and it almost sparkles in the late afternoon sun.

”I only hope that you’re not a son of Persephone, too.”

”Why?” Will asks, quirking an eye brow and watching Nico’s fingers soothe the already perfect petals on one of the flowers. ”Would it be so terrible to be related to me?”

”No! I mean – yes. I mean.” Nico huffs a breath and looks annoyed for a moment before rising up to his knees and shuffling so that he’s sitting right in front of Will. ”What I mean is”, he starts over, gently placing the new flower crown on Will’s head and moving the few strands of golden hair that have fallen into Will’s eyes, ”I wouldn’t want you to be a son of Persephone. Because then I couldn’t do this.”

Nico kisses the same way he weaves flowers together: surely, gently, carefully, but like he knows what he’s doing. Will has never been kissed so well before, hurried pecks behind cabins while looking over his shoulder for harpies having nothing on the soft touch of Nico’s lips on his own. Nico smells like flowers, dozens of different flowers, and his hand is warm on Will’s cheek. Will thinks he’s in love.

”You’re right”, Will says when they part and Nico sets to look for new flowers to craft. ”It would be a real shame if we couldn’t do that.”

Nico smiles brighter than the sun.


	4. Day 4: AU/Crossover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> royalty au? faerie au? how about BOTH?
> 
> you guys know how much i love aus - and if you don't you're about to find out.
> 
> this is the one i had most thoughts about before i started writing, and i still love it hand have a ton of short fic ideas for this au. let me know what you think!

As a general rule, Nico avoids fire. It’s a rational fear, really; fire is unstable, unpredictable, uncontrollable. Once it gets free, there’s nothing an ordinary fae like himself can do about it, and the beetles are of no help. There are too many stories about whole kingdoms of fae vanishing in forest fires, stories that older kids tell their younger siblings after the sun sets. But like every story, those ones have their base in truth, too, and so in Nico’s mind, every sane being is at least a little bit afraid of fire, and avoids it as best they can.

That’s why Nico stops and stares when he sees a fae he’s never seen before dancing with fire flies. And dancing _well_ , Nico might add, although there is very little he knows about dancing – Nico does tend to spend more of his time climbing and building than thinking about steps in a dance. But the strange fae moves softly and fluidly, like dancing is second nature to him, and it’s kind of hypnotic, and for a while there all Nico can do is stare.

There are not many faeries in this part of the forest. In fact, Nico is the only one that lives anywhere close. Sure, sometimes a few stop by, but they’re always on their way somewhere else, and no one ever stays long for a depressed fae with no wings. Nico has to admit to himself that it’s nice to see someone else for a change – someone that isn’t a beetle or a ladybug. Someone his own kind. Nico doesn’t think he has seen another fae since the last summer solstice.

Still distracted by the dance, Nico climbs higher in his tree. He finally reaches a branch that is wide enough so that he can walk along it without having to concentrate too much, and he plans to sit down much further from the trunk than he usually does. Unlike for other faeries, there are dire consequences for Nico should he fall, but he’s too curious about the strange new fae to think about that now.

Nico is so deep in thought, in fact, that he doesn’t notice how far he has already walked. It is a good thing that the tree is in full leaf, and Nico doesn’t fall all the way to the ground. He drops on a large leaf, right in the middle, and lets out a yelp that he later thinks is rather embarrassing but in the moment can’t really help.

Later, when Nico thinks back to this moment, he can’t really tell if his fall was the best or the worst thing that could have happened to him. Either way, the noise catches the other fae’s attention, and he turns to look at Nico, who is now clinging to the leaf for dear like and scrambling to sit down, to at least appear somewhat normal.

”Hello!” The fae comes closer, and Nico can see his beautiful face. The stranger appears to be around the same age as himself (although it is hard to tell, as faeries don’t really age that much), and Nico waves his fingers a little as a greeting. ”Will you join me and my friends in the sky?”

A blush makes its way on Nico’s cheeks. ”I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” At the stranger’s questioning glance Nico turns around slightly, showing him his back where a pair of beautiful wings should have grown but never did. ”I was born lacking, you see.”

”Oh.” The strange fae sits down next to Nico on the leaf. ”That’s a shame. I bet you’d have such beautiful wings.” The comment stings, but Nico doesn’t let it get to him. He’s heard much worse. ”But at least we can sit here and enjoy the summer’s breeze, yes?”

Nico shrugs, doesn’t say anything, and for a while they sit together in silence, the new fae and him. It’s quiet in the forest tonight, but alas, the forest is never entirely silent, and Nico relishes in the sound of the wind moving through the trees, the whistle of small creatures somewhere in the bushes, the calming flapping from the wings of a murder of crows passing by. Nico looks at the dancing fire flies, how they look so free with their wings, and for once he entertains the thought that maybe there are moments when fire can be seen as a thing of beauty.

The fire flies continue their dance for a while longer, but soon they continue their journey, leaving behind a soft, rapidly fading glow. Nico turns to look at the fae and finally gathers his courage to ask, ”How is it that you dance with them?”

”The fire flies? They’re my friends!” the boy’s smile is as bright as the stars in the sky, and Nico is mesmerized. ”Do you wish to meet them? They’re very good dancers.”

”No, thank you.” Nico doesn’t know how to explain that it is the boy he wants to dance with, not the fire flies. ”I haven’t seen you here before”, he says, wishing to keep the conversation going for even a little while longer.

The boy beams at him again. ”I haven’t had a chance to see this part of the forest before. Do you live here?”

Nico nods and points to the old oak stump by the pond. ”My family has lived here for a few generations. They took me in when they found me alone when I was little.” He smiles wistfully and ducks his head down when he notices the boy looking at him curiously. ”They are good beetles.”

”I believe you.” The boy sounds very sure about this, like he has no reason not to believe Nico. It weirds Nico out, a little, but not enough to leave. ”I can’t say I have met many beetles, but if they’re anything like butterflies, then they must be very nice.” Nico appreciates the words. Not many faeries seem to think too highly of beetles, even though Nico hasn’t met many creatures as humble and hard working as these. ”I’m Will, by the way.”

Nico looks at the fae. The name suits him. ”It’s nice to meet you, Will”, he says, because it actually is. Nico doesn’t have any fae friends, living so far away and not being able to fly. ”I’m Nico.” Perhaps this one would want to be friends with him.

Will smiles again. Nico thinks he really must like smiling, because he surely does that a lot. Will looks like someone who is always very happy, someone who has yet to face life’s cruelty with all it’s force. Nico wishes it could stay like that always. No one deserves to know sadness or horror or pain, not when you’re such a beautiful fae like Will.

Will opens his mouth to speak, but just then Nico can hear a voice calling in the distance.

”Your highness!” it says. ”Highness, are you there? We must head back now, before the sun sets!”

”Oh.” The sparkle doesn’t leave Will’s eyes, but it does dim a little. Nico doesn’t understand. ”Seems like I must get going.” He gets up and leaves Nico sitting on the leaf, stunned and unable to say a word. ”Will I see you again?” Will asks. ”Will you wait for me here, in this part of the forest?”

Not knowing what to say or how to say it, Nico nods. Will grins, jumps up from the leaf and flies away. Then he’s gone.

Nico is left there, in his tree, wondering what could the faerie prince possibly want with him.


	5. Day 5: Age regression/Kid fic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> or: the one in which nico falls asleep during a flight and wakes up to find out his daughter has a new best friend who also might be the love of his life
> 
> or: i can not let soccer mom au go and needed a new perspective for it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, you read that right. soccer mom au. in case you don't know what that is, i suggest you go to my profile and check it out. it's pretty neat, if i do say so myself.
> 
> i've never done an au of an au before, so that's exciting! it's a kid fic if there's an overly excited four year old, and exhausted single dad, and medical student who has a knack for falling in love too easily, right? right.
> 
> so here it is. i'm getting a little bit lazy with the rest of the week, let's hope i can still finish them on time! i wouldn't want to leave them hanging...

They are thirty minutes into the flight when someone taps Will on the shoulder and he is startled into reality.

”Whatcha reading?” the little girl asks. Will blinks.

Of course Will had taken note on the little girl and her (yes, rather attractive) father when boarding the plane. Will had even offered to switch seats, so that the girl could have a chance to look out the window, but her father had politely refused, saying it would be much more beneficial for them to be able to get to the bathroom without disturbing anyone else. Will had shrugged and turned to his book, ignoring everyone and everything during the ascent.

When Will now glances over the girl’s head, he can see that the father has fallen asleep with his neck bent awkwardly. Will internally grimaces – that can’t feel good once he wakes up. He wonders if he should wake him up.

”Uhm.” Will looks down at the girl again. Her eyes are big and warm brown. Will has always thought it strange when people compare children to puppies, but this girl really does look like one. ”It’s a novel, by Joseph Heller.” He shows her the simple blue cover. ”It’s quite boring, actually. You wouldn’t like it much.”

The girl looks at the cover with a serious look, then blinks and turns back to Will. ”My favorite book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

Of course it is. Will tries not to laugh. ”I like that book, too. I think it’s one of my favorites as well.”

The answering grin he gets is so adorable it feels like something breaks inside his chest. ”I’m Ciara”, the girl says, then gets a very proud look in her eyes as she holds up three fingers. ”I’m four.”

This child is so adorable Will might actually die. He reaches out and helps her hold up one more finger. ”There. _Now_ you’re four.” Ciara looks at her fingers, then Will, and beams. ”I’m Will, by the way.”

When Will later thinks about it, this is the moment when his whole life changed forever. It doesn’t feel like it when he sits on the plane and talks to a little girl to keep her entertained through a three-hour flight, but later – weeks, months, years later – he can see how big of a difference this meeting made in his life. And it all starts with a girl and a book.

Ciara is sweet in a way only a four year old can be, genuine and bright, and she smiles easily. Will can see the resemblance to her father when he steals quick looks at him while Ciara babbles on and on about ”Auntie Piper” and ”Uncle Jay” and someone named Leo who Will can only assume is a dog by all the bizarre things he does. Will listens to her talk and gives his input when needed, but truth be told Ciara can hold the conversation very well on her own.

Will has always liked kids. As long as he remembers, he has dreamed about having a big family one day, and he used to love babysitting his young cousins and neighbors when he was a teenager. Now, with his graduation from university fast approaching, Will has been eyeing positions in children’s wards in several hospitals in the New York area, thinking that might actually be the perfect way to combine the two things le really likes: being a doctor and working with kids.

(He has also been asked to take over a local girl’s soccer team, but he has some reservations about that, mainly because he really doesn’t know if he’ll be relocating in the next few months.)

So the fact that his in-flight plans have now changed from reading to entertaining the most adorable child he has possibly ever met doesn’t mother him one bit. He actually prefers this. They share a bag of peanuts Ciara pulls out from her light blue Kånken backpack, trade stories about their favorite animals, and Ciara tells Will all about the other kids in her kindergarten, the ones she likes the most and the ones she doesn’t get along with. She even tells him her favorite teacher is her Auntie Piper, which Will has to admit is pretty convenient.

When the pilot informs the passengers that they are almost back in New York and would start descending soon, Will hints to Ciara that she might want to wake her dad up. She gives him a strange look, her lips form a small o shape and her eyes sparkle curiously. It’s almost like she forgot that her father was there at all. Will feels a little bad for the guy, but honestly? Ciara is so adorable that Will is sure she is forgiven.

”Papà!” Ciara climbs to her father’s lap and places both of her tiny hands on his cheeks. ”Papà, we’re almost home. You need to wake up!”

The father wakes up and blinks, and Will can tell the exact moment when he realizes that he slept all through the flight instead of making sure his daughter is alright. There’s panic, and there’s regret, and then there’s worry, but before he can say or do anything Ciara is already babbling a mile a minute, right into his face.

”Can Will come to the zoo with us tomorrow, Papà? Pretty please? I promise to eat _all_ my carrots and not whine one bit. Will says he likes the zoo, too! He even knows the names of all the penguins!”

The father scrunches his face. ”Who’s Will?”

Will would get a little bit offended if the man didn’t look so damn cute. Instead he smiles and gives a little awkward wave from the window seat. ”Hello.” Ciara’s father turns to look at him, blinks once more, then blushes an adorable shade of pink that does things to Will’s heart. ”I’m sorry if I over stepped, but I had a lovely time talking with Miss Ciara here for the past few hours.”

”Will is my best friend!” Ciara announces then, and they both turn to look at her. ”And I want him to come with us to the zoo!”

The father looks stunned and maybe even a little amused, but then he shakes his head, presumably to clear his mind. ”Ciara, we’re not even going to the zoo tomorrow, we’re going next week. With Jason and Piper.” Ciara looks understandably disappointed, and Will can’t blame her. Time measures are hard enough to handle when you’re an adult, they must be impossible for a little kid. ”And we can’t assume Will has time to go to the zoo with us, sweetheart. Adults are busy.”

It breaks Will’s heart a little to see Ciara that sad, which is a little weird considering he has known her for a total of three hours. But Will doesn’t think too much (Cecil has always said that’s one of his biggest flaws, but will later admit that this time it did work in Will’s favor) before clearing his throat saying, ”I wouldn’t mind going with you, sometime. Maybe not next week, but – you know. Like I said, I had a lovely time with Ciara, and I would be lying if I wasn’t interested in her father, too.”

The blush on Ciara’s father’s face is lovely. Will doesn’t even know his name but he thinks he might be a little bit in love with him already.

”I, uh, I think I would like that, too”, the man finally says, his voice faint and a little breathless. He extends his hand across Ciara’s now empty seat. ”I’m Nico. Nico di Angelo.”

Will shakes his hand just as the seat belt light turns on. ”Will Solace.”


	6. Day 6: Secret powers/Super powers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've always been fascinated by the idea of will having some light related powers that emerge in his late teens. so yeah. this is me loosely tying a new power being surfaced into a secret/super power prompt.

It’s getting dark. Usually, Will is not a big fan of total darkness, and this is one of those times. On a good day, darkness is just creepy and slightly uncomfortable. It highlights your other senses and you start hearing things you wouldn’t usually pay any attention to, and Will really doesn’t like that. Nico keeps making fun of him for liking the Greek Fire in the Hades cabin, but the never dying fire means the cabin is never completely dark.

Because on a bad day… well. On a bad day, darkness can get you killed. Painfully.

This is a Bad Day. Will doesn’t remember the last time he was this hungry, exhausted, and grimy, all at the same time. All he wants to do is have a nice hot shower, then a double cheese burger, and then he wants to curl up in a bed, preferably with Nico, and sleep for six years. That would actually be perfect right about now.

But, alas, he can’t. Because he’s in the middle of a dark forest, and even though he knows he needs to go to east to find the meeting point, it’s still a _dark, unfamiliar forest in the middle of the night_. Plus, there is a Minotaur they knocked out a while back but could still be following them around. Plus, Will has a sprained ankle and they’re out of ambrosia. Plus, he’s half carrying Nico, who just shadow traveled them half way through the forest with his last bit of energy and is now just about falling asleep on him.

Yes. This is a Bad Day.

”Come on, Nico”, Will mutters, not wanting to raise his voice too much in case the shadows hear them. ”It shouldn’t be too much further away.”

It’s a gentle lie, one that Nico would hate if it weren’t for his exhaustion. It’s enough to keep them moving, and enough to keep them from getting killed. Hopefully. Nico’s feet drag around in the dirt, but Will has to applaud him for the effort he makes.

”I can do it.” Nico’s breath tingles Will’s skin on his shoulder where his shirt is torn. In other circumstances it would feel rather nice. (Will has caught himself dreaming of _other circumstances_ more than once in the past few days.) Nico’s foot gets caught in a root and they both stumble, and Will has to put extra weight on his bad ankle. He bites back a hiss. ”I’ll just… need a nap first…”

”Oh, no, you _don’t_.” Nico is a son of Hades. Of course he would feel comfortable enough in the darkness to fall asleep. Having been awake for over thirty hours and overusing his powers certainly don’t help the situation. ”Come on, we need to keep moving.”

Will thinks if he should just get rid of his backpack and carry Nico, instead. But then another spike of pain shoots from his ankle and he knows that’s not the solution. They just need to keep moving east. Will is forever thankful for his past self for paying attention in Chiron’s classes, because now it doesn’t take him long to determine which way to go by looking at the stars. He starts leading Nico through the trees and sends out a silent thank you, not sure to whom.

Nico’s steps get heavier and heavier the further they walk, he has mostly lost all consciousness, and his eyes have been closed since the last time they stopped. Will knows it’s only a matter of time before moving is out of the question entirely. The shadows are of no help when the one with the ability to bend them is out cold. The situation is stupid, it’s incredibly stupid, and Will would laugh if he didn’t fear it would turn into a panicked sob half way out of his throat.

 _Please_. Will doesn’t close his eyes while he pray, but keeps them trained forward, looking out for the next tree, the next danger, the next rock to climb. _Please help us through this. Please._

The gods are a busy folk. They don’t have a lot of time or interest to listen to little people plead for their help, and Will isn’t really expecting them to. But still, he has just enough faith to believe that someone, anyone, can hear him, feel sorry for them, and send even a little bit of help.

 _If only it wasn’t so dark in here_.

The tingle starts from the base of Will’s spine. He mistakes it for an annoying itch, at first, and is almost grateful for it, because it distracts him from the pain in his ankle. But then the tingle spreads, climbs up his spine and through his chest, increasing into a burn that hits his lungs near painfully. Will gasps, but the sensation has already moved on, to his right shoulder and down his arm. It feels like a fire through his veins, literally, and Will wonders what could have caused it. He hasn’t heard about anything like this before.

Whatever it is, Will decides it’s not worth stopping for. He keeps walking and dragging Nico with him. Just a little bit longer.

Once the tingle (itch, burn) reaches Will’s fingers he has to let go of Nico’s wrist that he has slung over his shoulder. He looks down at his hand, not expecting to see much in the darkness – and sees his palm glowing, the veins in his hand illuminated from the inside. The feeling intensifies, it burns through Will’s skin, until there’s an actual ball of pure light sitting on Will’s hand.

It’s beautiful. It’s also extremely terrifying, and Will has no idea what just happened.

The light floats up and away, moving smoothly without a sound, spreading warmth around it and letting Will see his surroundings for the first time in what feels like forever. The forest looks just as thick and dangerous as he assumed it would, and he feels a cold shiver down his spine.

Will looks at the light again. It’s small, the size of a tennis ball maybe, but it produces enough light to help Will find his steps in the uneven ground. As he watches, the light stops between two trees, floating in the air until Will takes another step, then moving forward and stopping again. It doesn’t make a single noise, but Will gets the feeling it’s calling for him to follow.

 _A will-o’-the-wisp_. That’s what the light reminds Will of. It’s not one, he knows, but the thought almost brings a smile to his face. Whatever this light is, it’s clear that it has come to help them through the forest.

Will feels safe enough to close his eyes for two seconds. _Thank you_. He can almost feel his father nodding in acknowledgement.

Straightening his back and taking a deep breath, Will can feel a new sprout of energy surging through him. maybe it’s the light. Maybe it’s the thought of his prayers being heard. Maybe it’s the fact that they don’t have much to lose with following a strange light. Whatever it is, Will won’t let it go to waste.

”Alright, Nico”, he mutters, takes Nico’s wrist again and wraps his other arm around his waist, ”let’s go home.”


	7. Day 7: Enemies/Lovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i do love an enemies to lovers au, but that takes time and at least 10k words. so i'm going simply with lovers, this time. and because i want to keep this t rated, i'm restricting myself for some making out. that still falls under the lovers category, right?
> 
> also i thought it was only fair that since we celebrated nico's birthday in one chapter that we celebrate will's in this one. you know, to keep balance.

Will is almost at the dining pavilion when a hand grabs his and there’s a sudden whirlwind around him. Everything goes dark for a few seconds, and it feels like the air is peeling his face back, but then it stops just as quickly as it started and Will finds himself standing in the middle of the Hades cabin.

”Hey”, Nico says, looking way too smug for someone who just not only broke his doctors orders, also more or less kidnapped someone. ”Fancy seeing you here.”

”You _kidnapped_ me”, Will points out, most of his annoyance coming from being forced so shadow travel even though Nico knows very well what Will thinks about it. ”And besides, what have I told you about – ”

Nico is kissing him before he can finish the sentence. And kissing him, and kissing him, and Will isn’t sure what’s gotten into Nico but he can’t say he’s complaining because damn, Nico is a _great_ kisser. (Will takes half of the credit, even though he doesn’t have that much experience himself. More than Nico though. Not like it matters.)

”You were saying?” Nico breathes as Will’s lips travel down to his jaw, as if on their own accord.

Will knows he shouldn’t give up so easily. He knows he should make Nico listen to yet another lecture about overusing his powers, about what a constant state of exhaustion does to his body, about why kidnapping people isn’t cool, about how they’re skipping dinner and that is certainly not cool and also against the camp rules. As is the fact that they’re currently alone in a cabin, just the two of them. Will knows all this, he know, and yet.

And yet, Will has been dating Nico for almost six months, and during that time he has learned a few things. Like that Nico doesn’t really care about rules – he says he does, and he admits they bring structure and make him feel like he belongs in camp, but when it comes to following said rules, he’d rather not. And Will has learned that Nico actually finds most of his lectures about health and human behavior and camp rules _amusing_ , even though Will is never going to understand how. Nico even said once that he thinks Will looks cute when he rants, which – okay, it may have resulted in making out in the infirmary supply closet, but that’s definitely Nico’s fault, not Will’s.

Another thing Will has learned is that Nico is a quick study. Whatever it is, he doesn’t have to know how it works, he will have it mastered in no time. Such was the thing with canoeing, archery (Nico is almost at level with some of the Apollo kids, which is super impressive), horseback riding, three different languages (Spanish, Japanese, and German, for some reason), and baking. Will is so amazed that he doesn’t have the time to get jealous.

And besides, one of the things Nico has proven to be a very, _very_ quick study in, is kissing. Of course there were a few fumbles and miscalculations and awkward nose bumping in the beginning, but honestly, Will was never expecting anything less. And he didn’t mind. All he has wanted, from the very beginning, is just to get to know Nico better, get close to him, to enjoy his company and spend time together. But in just a few short weeks Nico had somehow mastered the art of kissing Will until his knees turned jelly, and it has been one hell of a ride since then.

(You won’t hear Will complaining.)

”I don’t recall saying anything”, Will says now, hoping for Nico to drop the subject and possibly kiss him again. He’s aware he gets ridiculous in situations like this, but really, there are only so many moments in a week that he gets to be properly alone with Nico in a hectic camp like Camp Half-Blood, so he thinks he’s at least a little bit allowed.

Will can feel Nico’s chuckle where his lips are mouthing at Nico’s throat, and it’s seven different kinds of intoxicating. It’s hard to believe that this is the same person who, less than a year ago, was dead set on leaving and swearing off people forever. Now, Nico wraps his arms around Will to keep him close, buries his hand in Will’s hair, and he’s so warm, both literally and figuratively, that Will feels his whole body heat up as well and he needs to lean back for air.

Nico doesn’t give him much time before he’s kissing him again, angling his face by cupping his jaw and slipping his other hand into Will’s back pocket. It’s such a simple thing to do, but Nico has _never_ done that before, and Will can tell his whole face is beet red. Everyone assumes Will is the suave one in this relationship. They know _nothing_.

”Gotcha”, Nico grins. Will keeps his eyes closed as Nico noses his cheek, pressing sweet kisses to the corner of his mouth and being all around wonderful. ”Now, _that_ is one happy looking birthday boy.”

Will blinks his eyes open and meets Nico’s gaze. He quickly tries to recall the date and realizes Nico is right. It’s his _birthday_. How could he have forgotten?

A startled laughter builds up in Will’s chest, climbing up his throat and bursting out as a breathless chuckle as he keeps staring at Nico. ”It’s my birthday.” It’s kind of funny how surprised he sounds. He has known this day was coming, he even remembers talking about it with Nico just last week. ”I can’t believe it’s my _birthday_.”

Nico laughs and pecks his cheek. ”I can’t believe you’re acting like it’s your first”, he says, and Will swats his arm, laughing with him. ”Did you honestly forget?”

Will’s blush intensifies. ”Would it really be such a bad thing if I did?”

There’s something strange in Nico’s smile then, when he just looks at Will and his thumb strokes back and forth on Will’s cheek bone. It’s not something entirely new, not really, but rather something Will has seen coming and going and growing in the past months, in moments like these when they’re alone and there are no distractions other than each other. Will has seen it on his own face, too, in the few times that Malcolm has dropped off some pictures he has taken of Will and Nico together.

(Will thinks he might actually know what it is, but he’s sixteen – seventeen – and too afraid to say in out loud just yet.)

(He thinks Nico might have an idea, too.)

”So”, Will says quietly after he deems that enough time has passed since his question and Nico had not answered. ”Is this my birthday present?”

Nico’s smile turns up a notch. ”No”, he says, then leans in, ”but this is.”

(They’re super late from camp fire, and Will’s stomach keeps growling because of the missed dinner, but it’s all worth it.)


End file.
